Making Sense of it All
by Apple-chan
Summary: A series of shorts explaining the hows, whys, whens and wheres of the RenxJeanne relationship. RenxJeanne. xLyserg. Exhibit A: Ren; Evidence 3: Pride Goeth Before Destruction
1. The Will to Power

**Making Sense of it All**

**By Apple-chan**

_Disclaimer_: IT WOULD NOT HAVE ENDED LIKE IT DID IF I OWNED IT.T_T

_Warnings_: G/K

_Spoilers_: Chapter 300

_Pairings_: RenxJeanne. xLyserg

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**Exhibit A: Ren**

**Evidence 1: The Will to Power**

Tao Ren was eighteen years old, and this was something he had been asked—no, _ordered_—to do.

_Go out there and find yourself a bride. It's tradition._

This was a task he needed to accomplish, whether he liked it or not. He knew that; but more than anything he was aware that this was for the good of the family, and for his own. For the future of the Tao family.

_The future lies in your hands._

He knew that as well; he was proud of that fact and for that reason alone, he knew he could not fail.

And he wouldn't. Finding a bride? For the sake of his family and his future, he knew it can't just be any young woman who happened to pass by and glance at him. No—it has to be someone special.

Of all the women he had known in his life, there were only a few who fell under the "special" category. The first one was his mother; the second was his sister. The third was Asakura Anna, who happened to be his friend Yoh's wife.

None of those three can become his bride, for very obvious reasons.

Which left only two remaining women: Tamamura Tamao and Iron Maiden Jeanne.

_Remember who you are, Tao Ren. Remember that it can't just be anyone. _

After serious thought and consideration, his selection boiled down to one, and only one.

_Power. We are all about power, and between them, the only one who can match my power is…_

Iron Maiden Jeanne.

And so it was that he decided: Iron Maiden Jeanne was to become his bride, and no other.

TBC

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**Notes**:

Chapter 300 shattered all my hopes, dreams and fantasies of LysergxJeanne. Chapter 300 made me go all WTF. Chapter 300 got the wheels on my brain turning and I spent a whole sleepless night trying and trying to make sense of the ending that is RenxJeanne and the undeniable evidence of their union that is baby Tao Men. Hence the title of this series.

Not sure how long this will be. Not sure when the continuation to the continuation will follow as I am still trying to make sense of this myself. But updates will come, rest assured, because I am desperate to find answers. I am desperate to make sense of it all. And, I am desperate to give Lyserg some justice, so EXPECT HIM TO APPEAR. SOON.

(…And Hao, too, probably. Maybe.)

_Regarding Promenade_: As stated in my profile page I have no intention of going against the canon of Takei Hiroyuki. And as I am finding it difficult to get my groove back on that series, and due to the recent turn of events, then you may consider it discontinued. Until further notice.

Reviews are appreciated, but not necessary. But then again since you're here now you might as well.


	2. Courtship Means Persuasion

**Making Sense of it All**

**By Apple-chan**

_Disclaimer_: IT WOULD NOT HAVE ENDED LIKE IT DID IF I OWNED IT.T_T

_Warnings_: G/K

_Spoilers_: Chapter 300

_Pairings_: RenxJeanne. xLyserg

* * *

**Exhibit A: Ren**

**Evidence 2: Courtship Means Persuasion**

_This was a bad idea. A stupid idea. A ridiculous idea._

Ren berated himself mentally for the umpteenth time that day. He was a smart young man in most situations, but in matters like…_this_, he was completely flabbergasted.

Even though his mother and sister were both women, he was utterly, completely clueless in dealing with girls. At the moment he was only starting to become aware of this fact. Theoretically of course, he knew the basics—but in practice…

_Girls are strange creatures. _He frowned at the heavy iron doors in front of him. He was Tao Ren, the heir to royalty; _any girl_ would be honored if he was bestowing his attention upon her. Any girl would fall down on her knees in gratitude if someone as high as himself takes her away on a white horse, and carries her off into his castle. Any girl would absolutely swoon with happiness once she hears his intentions straight from his lips._ What is wrong with this one?_

_She's not just any other girl_, Ren admitted to himself grudgingly. She's special. _That's why I want to marry her._

"And why you kidnapped her," Lyserg was in front of him, coming out of the iron doors. He had spoken that last thought unconsciously.

Ren chose to ignore that remark for the sake of his dignity. "Has she calmed down?" He said instead.

"You should let her out of there," his friend chose to ignore him as well. "Potential brides shouldn't be taken…._captive_ like this. It's just_—_"

"Did you tell her I want to marry her?" Ren interrupted.

"—wrong," Lyserg finished with a pointed look. "I was trying to explain to her why you abducted her."

"Because I'm marrying her," Ren answered matter-of-factly.

"You _abducted_ her," Lyserg repeated impatiently. "Ren-kun, if you intend to marry a girl, you _never_ take her forcefully from her home. It doesn't work that way."

"Why not? It's just a simple matter." He said impatiently. A few simple steps: get the girl, take her home, have the ceremonies over and done with, put the ring on her finger. Finished.

"It is _not_ simple. Far from it." Lyserg observed him through narrowed eyes. "Ren-kun…have you ever heard of courtship?"

"Courtship?" He frowned at this. _Vaguely familiar._ He'd probably encountered the term in one of his books. Nothing too important perhaps, else he'd remember. His mother and sister probably knew though, if it had something to do with girls and their weird behavior. He'll have to ask them later on.

He paused at that thought. _Maybe not ask them,_ he decided. _Asking would be too…awkward. Look it up—yes, that's what I'll do. Look it up._

Lyserg sighed, loudly enough to catch his attention. "_Courtship_, Ren-kun, is, to be concise, trying to persuade a girl to like you enough so that she'll _marry_ you."

Ren stared. _No need to look it up, then._ "…It's that simple?"

"By definition, yes." His friend replied. "In practice…no."

"No?"

"No. Absolutely not."

"So what does this have to do with her?" Ren pointed with distaste at the iron doors, referring quite obviously to his hostage inside. Iron Maiden Jeanne, his future bride.

"Ren-kun!" Lyserg looked up at the ceiling and exhaled loudly, then gazed at Ren like he thought his friend was the thickest person in the entire planet. Which Ren definitely wasn't.

He was just a little bit slow when it came to these things. It was quite understandable. He was a _warrior_, for crying out loud. Warriors think about the important stuff—like war, and fighting, and making one's self stronger. Courtship didn't fall under _important_.

But…if it was necessary, it was necessary.

"I get it. _I get it_," he raised a hand to shut Lyserg up and prevent him from doing other things. Like shake him into admitting his cluelessness on women. "Courtship. I have to do this _courtship_ thing so I can get her to like me. Right?" _Easy._

"Yes," Lyserg agreed, "but it's not that simple."

"You mentioned that." Ren said impatiently. "So, what do I have to do?"

TBC

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**Notes**:

I've completely given up on trying to edit this and there is no point in making it longer. Next chapter will come out whenever, as it is as of the moment written in my head but not on a word document.

Reviews are great! Thanks! Most appreciated!:D


	3. Pride Goeth Before Destruction

**Making Sense of it All**

**By Apple-chan**

_Disclaimer_: IT WOULD NOT HAVE ENDED LIKE IT DID IF I OWNED IT.T_T

_Warnings_: G/K

_Spoilers_: Chapter 300

_Pairings_: RenxJeanne. xLyserg

* * *

**Exhibit A: Ren**

**Evidence 3: Pride Goeth Before Destruction**

SMASH!

Ren cursed under his breath as he watched the pink and green and purple-trimmed _expensive_ vase fall, and shatter into pieces on the shiny marbled floor. Leaving several hundred thousand scratches and dents. And a heaping mess of broken china.

He stared at the young woman in front of him, trying to keep his voice even. "Stop tha—" he ducked as another vased came his way, smashing against the proud, pristine wall. No longer proud and no longer pristine.

And he snapped.

"STOP IT! RIGHT NOW!" His voice thundered, echoed all throughout the entirety of the room, rattling the Chinese four seasons displays and even the furniture. Voice that could have scared all the heavens into submission. And all the gods.

But apparently not the young woman in front of him.

The fourteen-year-old Iron Maiden Jeanne was unperturbed as she tossed her hair, and calmly picked up her next choice of weapon: a slender, maroon vase with onyx and topaz jewels outlining the elaborate swirly design, with diamonds in the center, and about twelve feet in height. She held it gracefully with nimble fingers and aimed at Ren's head.

"I SAID STOP, OKAY? CEASE THIS MADNESS!" Ren shouted warningly, horrified—and quite shocked—at the easy and comfortable way she held the heavy and expensive piece of china. As if it were made of the lightest feather. He didn't know she had that kind of strength.

But then again, there was much he didn't know about her.

For instance, he didn't know that she could get this…_murderous_ over the whole situation. He had merely plucked her away from her place of residence. It's not as if he actually _violated_ her in any way.

…_And it's not like I would, anyway_, Ren thought silently. _I intend to have her come into my arms of her own free will_. _And she will,_ he decided confidently. _Of course she will._

Of course. No woman can resist the charms of Tao Ren—especially not if he puts his mind into it. _You will be mine. Yes, you will._

_But first…_ "That is an _extremely expensive_ vase," Ren emphasized, gesturing pointedly at the embedded stones. _Handcrafted, and paid for with dear life._ "So you had better think twice—no, TWENTY BILLION TIMES before you destroy something that precious."

Jeanne eyed the fragile antique with what seemed to be disdain. Of course, Ren knew that she was used to the simple life. Material things probably had little to no value in her eyes. "Expensive," she gave Ren a scornful look. "A single diamond within this piece can buy enough food to alleviate the hunger of all the citizens of Somalia."

"Yes, yes that's right," Ren agreed, although deep inside he wanted to sigh and roll his eyes with exasperation. _Somalia? _"For a year. Or _ten_ years, even. So if you can just—"

She smirked. "Then I will pick up the fallen diamonds after I smash this in your face." And she raised the vase and, with the strength of a thousand Spartan warriors, threw it at his head.

Ren wasn't quick enough to dodge the full blow of the vase crashing into pieces this time around. A sliver of broken china grazed his left cheek, not enough to draw blood, but enough to leave a small gash.

And enough to send his temper spiraling out of control.

"When I tell you to _STOP_," his teeth gritted unconsciously, and he felt his hands clench into fists at his sides, "you should STOP." And he couldn't help himself. He glared at her. She was infuriating.

She gazed back at him squarely with calm unperturbed crimson eyes, obviously unfazed. "You have no right to order me around." She was quite obviously not afraid of him. Far from it, even. She picked up the fifteenth—and final—vase in the room and waved it provokingly in front of him. A silvery-blue eyebrow raised as if in challenge.

"PUT. THAT. DOWN." Ren glared.

"No, I will _not_." Jeanne looked back at him calmly, yet coldly.

Ren fought back a growl threatening to escape his lips as he tried to focus on the matter at hand.

He was supposed to _talk_ to her. Lyserg had explained: communication was the first step to establishing this "courtship" thing. He needed to make his intentions clear before doing anything else. It was something he had to do by himself—Lyserg couldn't help him in this respect. Especially not now that he was already on his way back to London. Ren was on his own. "…Jeanne, put that DOWN. We need to talk."

"I said NO." Her voice was firm. "And additionally? The person who abducted me and locked me in this abominable place does not have ANY right to speak to me about ANYTHING."

Ren frowned. _Abominable? _Thick and heavy iron doors and Chinese traditional furyoku wards aside, the room he had deposited Jeanne in was quite…respectable and comfortable. And decorative too, what with all the framed paintings, figurines and vases. And, it was almost as large as a ballroom. "This is a nice room," he remarked in defense of his choice of guest quarters for her. It was a special room, for a special person—her.

Her eyes looked at him with leashed fury. "I am a _prisoner_ here," she said pointedly. "There is nothing remotely _nice_ about a _PRISON CELL."_

"It is NOT a prison cell. It's a guest room for you."

"I am not a guest in this godforsaken place. I am a prisoner. Those wards and iron doors prove this to be so."

"You're not—" Ren exhaled. There was no point in arguing. He was never going to win this. Explaining anything would be moot.

_And besides_, he admitted to himself grudgingly, _I'm in the wrong here. I shouldn't have done this. Lyserg…Lyserg was right._

_Kidnapping. What a stupid idea._

"Tao Ren." Her icy voice caught his attention. "If you are not going to release me from this prison, then I suggest you leave. Leave NOW." She said firmly. "Or I will sharpen my aim to make sure this lands on your FACE." She gestured to the remaining vase. Green, with black flowery design. A cheap one. Still expensive by normal standards, but cheap by Tao family standards.

_Ren-kun, _Lyserg's voice echoed in his head. _The first thing you need to do is apologize to her. Apologize for what you've done. Apologize for kidnapping her._

_In other words, _Lyserg had continued, _the first step to your own brand of courtship: you need to swallow your pride. It's the only way, Ren-kun._

Ren looked up at the ceiling, feeling incredulous as he recalled his friend's words of wisdom. Lyserg was nuts.

…_But he's right. Apologize, fine. Get this over with. _He looked at her, and frowned. _Infuriating, this girl._

She glared in response. "I will count to three," she said. "If you do not exit from this place after I finish my count, I will break this vase violently on your head."

"I'm sorry."

"One, two—" she paused. "What?"

Ren exhaled. "I'm sorry. I apologize, okay? I should not have abducted you. Kidnapping is wrong, and I am very sorry." He glared at her. "Okay? Are you satisfied?"

"SATISFIED?" Her voiced raised a notch higher. It started to shake a little too, he noticed. Or a lot. "You honestly think a SIMPLE SORRY will make this all better?" With anger, apparently. At him. Obviously.

"Um…yes?"

Jeanne hissed. "You insufferable _bastard_."

Ren remembered having muttered a short brief curse before blacking out as she threw the vase at his head—and connected squarely.

Pride goeth before destruction, indeed.

TBC

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**Notes:**

"Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall." – Proverbs 16:18 King James version. Because I seriously have no originality.

Yes, I tend to go overboard when I work with dialogues which explains the 1000+ words. It is seriously a bad habit.

Wrote this last week. There are bits that need fixing, just can't pinpoint them out. But the grammar's all good so this can go out.

Part four? Who knows when that'll come out…heh.

Reviewing? Thanks!


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